Cask and Barrel, Broughton – The people's pub
Plus some pub closure news.
I love the Cask and Barrel on Broughton Street. It’s not fancy, though nicely done-up inside. The cask beer is always reliable, and there can be up to eight taps on at any one time. There’s plenty of space to take a pew at the green banquette seating, perch at the bar or stand around one of the barrels in the centre.
It gives the people what they want, and that’s why it’s always busy. A good selection of drinks, friendly staff, tellies showing sport and soups and sandwiches on offer during the day.
When I posted my original review early this year (link below), I named it as one of the pubs we take for granted. “Many a fond memory of pints at this pub!” said one commenter.
“I have memories of drinking in this building in 1970 and 1971 - I remember it as 2 separate bars (one of which was the Claremont), so I am intrigued to hear that it was one bar,” said another.
I finally made it to C&B’s sister pub, Cask and Barrel Southside, a couple of weeks ago. The vibe is much the same. It’s another large space with a U-shaped bar in the centre. It was great to see the pub so busy (standing room only) for the early Saturday afternoon kick-off. Whatever the owners are doing, it’s working. They’ve created pubs for the people. Long may they continue.
If you have a suggestion for an underrated pub in the city, leave a comment or reply to this email.
Where are they?
Cask and Barrel Broughton
Cask and Barrel Southside
The chaser – Spoons, Barney’s, Porty
I hope you enjoyed last week’s poem on the closure of The Foot of the Walk. Don’t worry, we’re back to regular reviews from now on.
Despite having one less Spoons in the city, it doesn’t mean we’ll be losing a pub. I have it on good authority that the building will remain a pub, presumably after a little refurbishment.
On to Summerhall. As you probably know, the building’s management have got themselves into a bit of hot water with the HMRC.
That led to the closure of The Royal Dick pub on the premises – a pub I reviewed back in June after Summerhall went up for sale. (Since then, the arts venue has agreed a three-year extension to its lease.)
Luckily, Barney’s Brewery has temporarily taken over the running of The Royal Dick. “In some ways it will be business as usual but we will start putting a more Barney’s focused line-up on the bar, for example more collabs and limited edition beer,” they tell me.
The pub will be open from 5pm on Thursdays and Fridays and from midday on Saturdays. If it goes well, they’ll extend their hours and may even consider some pop-up food vendors on site.
The leasehold of another Barney’s pub, The Bullfinch in Leith, is also up for sale. It’s a lovely place, with a fantastic lineup of beers and a number of community events throughout the week.
Barney’s tell me they’re selling the leasehold so they can concentrate on brewing. They have “no immediate plans to close down,” and will retain the heritable title (what’s called the freehold in the rest of the UK).
Let’s hope The Bullfinch stays just as good under new management.
And some more pub closure news - Vault City’s Porty Vault is shutting sometime around December.
The brewery, which specialises in sour beers, says its its move to a new site in Midlothian, “alongside significant headwinds for the hospitality sector,” means it’s had to make the difficult decision to close. Its Wee Vault in Haymarket will remain open.
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is a daily newsletter which has been keeping track of pub closures and all other local news.Thank you again to those who have left me a tip. It’s been lovely to read the notes you have left alongside the donations. Some people have told me they’ve visited new pubs off the back of the reviews – which makes me happier than I can put into words.
Thanks a lot for the mention, Imran! You’ve got a good thing going here 🍻
Still waiting for a review of the Argyle in Marchmont Imran